Keys To A Successful New Year's Resolution

Well believe it or not it is that time of year again. 2012 is just around the corner, which means it is time to set your resolutions. This is such a cool time of year. Everyone is super motivated, has a goal, and works hard to get there.

The problem is, how often does someone stick to their resolutions? I have been guilty of this many times in the past. You have great intentions, but you just can't stick to something for 12 months. In 2011 I set a goal for myself in January and I am proud to say that I have stuck with it 100%. In fact I accomplished more than I originally set.

My objective for my goal was to be a better trainer and a better business person. Now this goal is easy to say but tougher to go out and do. Instead of making that my actual goal I picked one thing that would help me improve in each. If I did this one thing I would have to get better. My goal was to read 1 book every month for a year. And not just read the book but apply what I learned. I picked books that were about fitness/nutrition or books about business(marketing, sales....). Here are the books that I made it through. You will see there are more then 12 too. It became such an obsession of mine that I didn't want to stop at just one a month.

1. Ultimate Back Fitness And Performance- Discusses the proper exercises to perform when dealing with low back issues and common reason for back pain.
2. Functional Training For Sport- Explains how to program workouts for athletes with functional exercises and how to progress and assess.
3. Advances in Functional Training- Similar to the previous book with a few new techniques thrown in there.
4. Athletic Body In Balance- Great book that showed how to assess movement patterns and create corrective exercises to improve performance.
5. Born To Run- Highly recommend this book even if you are not into running. Tells the story of the Greatest Race No One has ever heard of and why the human body was literally designed to run.
6. Think and Grow Rich- This book was written in the 30's but still holds true today. Discuss the proper way to goal set and follow through with your goals.
7. How To Win Friends and Influence People- Another book from the 30's that explains how to deal with people to persuade them to see your side and how to get others to want to be around you.
8. Anatomy Trains- An anatomy type book that shows how the body is made up of interconnected highways not isolated muscles like most people train them.
9. The New Rules Of Lifting- another recommended book for those into working out. Show the basic movements that should be trained and how you can eliminate unnecessary exercises.
10. Delivery Happiness- Recommended for anyone who works in customer service. This is the story of the CEO of Zappos.com and how he developed their company to be famous for amazing customer service and great corporate culture.
11. Total Body Breakthroughs- A compilation of a number of different fitness professionals explaining various issues in the fitness world.
12. In Defense of Food- Another high recommendation. A simple premise. Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much.
13. Sway- A great book that looks into why people make irrational decisions.
14. Predictably Irrationally- Similar to Sway, but more in depth into the psychology of decision making and how you can use it to influence decisions.
15. Baby Wise- Had to through one baby book in there.
16. Ultimate Fat Loss Programming and Coaching System- The name here pretty much says it all.
17. Bigger, Faster, Stronger- A guide to designing a systematic program for young athletes.

So I ended up reading 5 more books then originally intended. I honestly really impressed my self with this goal. It may seem like I have a ton a free time to just sit and read, but if you know me at all you know this is not the case. I had to really figure out a way to commit this much time to reading, and by the end I really started to enjoy it. (Plus flying around the country all year helps).

So I thought about why was I so successful with this goal. I came up with a few tips that will help you create a good goal and stick with it for the whole year.

1. Pick an ACTION goal not a results goal.

For example, I mentioned I could have made my goal to be a better trainer. This is such an abstract goal that I would have never really known where to start. This is the same as saying I'm going to lose 15lbs. While it is ok if there is a certain amount of weight you want to lose, you need to make your goal and action to hit that number. Instead commit to following a cleaner diet program or perform strength training 3 days per week.

2. Tell EVERYONE what your goal is.

It is amazing how much more motivated you will be come when others know you are working towards a goal. You would be surprised how much people will check on you. We love seeing others be successful because it is contagious. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers what you intend to do. They may even join you.
3. Invest in your goal or have something to lose.

When there is nothing to lose if you do not success it really isn't a big deal if you don't make it. Make yourself commit to something. You might have to invest some money to stick with it. Paying a trainer is great motivation to show up for a workout. If you don't want to invest money then make some consequence for not completing it.

4. Reward yourself for completing the goal.

On the opposite end of having something to lose, you might be even more motivated by a reward. Promise your self something you really want if you hit your goal. This could be a vacation to show of the new bod or maybe a new toy like an iPad to play with if you make it.

5. Give yourself timelines.

A year is a very long time to stick with even a small goal like flossing your teeth. Instead of going for a whole year, try and break it down to smaller timelines. Instead of me saying I will read 12 books this year I said 1 book a month. This was a very reasonable goal and I new exactly when it ended.

6. One goal at a time.

Ambition can be a great trait, but be careful when setting new goals. It is hard enough to stick with one. You can have multiple goals for the year but it is best to work on them at different times. You could break the year up into quarters and pick a new goal for each quarter instead of 4 goals for the year. Once you make it the entire year, it has become a new habit. I plan on continuing my reading of one book a month, but plan on adding a new goal for 2012. I'm actually still working on it now, so I will get back to you on what my new goal will be.

Well that is it. Follow this 6 simple steps and you will be well on your way to reach your new goal. Feel free to comment below or write to me on Facebook to share your goal with me and others to see.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Foods You Thought Were Bad

Written by Christine Burke with Light Hearted Fitness

I just got this article from fellow trainer Christine Burke and I thought you might find in interesting. Enjoy...


In case you didn't get the good news, these foods are not as bad for you as previously believed:

(1) Eggs & Shrimp
(2) Dark Meat & Red Meat
(3) Whole Dairy
(4) Coconut Oil
(5) Coffee

All of these foods have been linked to heart disease in the past, but here are the happy updates:

• 1, 2 and 3 are animal products containing cholesterol. It was once thought that eating cholesterol would rai se cholesterol, which might then cause heart disease. Research has since shown that eating cholesterol does not affect blood levels as much as we had feared.
• 1, 2, 3 and 4 contain saturated fats. Studies have shown that saturated fats are linked to heart disease, but key research has fallen under criticism, some saturated fats seem to have benefits, and new research came up with no clear link.
• Apparently, Harvard says you can drink 6 cups of coffee per day without increasing risk for mortality. When p eople tell me about their health habits, "6 cups of coffee a day" typically indicates... oh... issues... but the point is, as long as you don't have sleep or anxiety problems, go ahead and enjoy a cup or two.

I'm still going to discourage you from eating a 6-egg steak and cheese omlette at one sitting (even if it's local, grassfed, organic, and cooked with coconut oil), but I hope you are as happy I am to learn that many people can enjoy these foods in moderation.

Mike again here. Unfortunately this article is very typical in the fitness and nutrition world. We are convinced certain exercises and foods are terrible for us and then we find out that they probably aren't that bad and may be important to include.

I think the best advice is to stay up on GOOD research, the best you can, or at least follow someone who does, and when things work stick with them. If you were eating whole eggs for breakfast everyday, losing weight and feeling great, then you should probably continue doing it. Especially now with the new research out there. If you aren't sure you can always go to your doctor and have a blood panel done regularly. If you see things are getting better keep doing what you are doing, if they are getting worse stop it.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

More Great News About Vitamin D

Not too long ago I put up a short post on a few benefits of Vitamin D and a study involving obese postmenopausal women. You can check it out here. It seems like everyday I am hearing more great news about this powerful vitamin. In fact recently we are finding that Vitamin D is actually a hormone. So to be deficient in Vitamin D you actually have a hormone deficiency. We are beginning to learn some very valuable information about Vitamin D.

Here are two more studies that just came out from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing some more great benefits.

1. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is associated with decreased abdominal visceral adipose tissue in overweight and obese adults.

The title really says it all here. In this study they took two groups. Both groups were trying to lose weight. One group was giving orange juice with calcium and vitamin D added while the other group was given a placebo. The found that both groups ended up losing equal weight on their diet, but the interesting part is that the group that took the calcium and vitamin D saw a greater reduction in abdominal fat!

2. Vitamin D deficiency and mortality risk in the general population: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Again the title really says it all. A meta-analysis basically means this group of researchers looked at already published studies containing information they were testing to look for trends. They looked at studies involving mortality rates and Vitamin D deficiency. They found a direct linear relationship with high rates of mortality and Vitamin D deficiency.

I think both of these studies were pretty self explanatory, but the results were really amazing. So according to these studies if you are getting enough Vitamin D in your diet, or just getting enough sunlight, you will have less belly fat and live longer. Sounds like a good plan to me. If you have never done it I highly recommend having your Vitamin D levels tested. Consult your doctor to do this.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Sample Fat Burning Workout

I recently just finished my latest 8 Week Transformation Challenge. I usually conduct 3-4 of these per year. Each time we do it I am blown away by some of the results that we get. I have made it my personal goal to continue to tweak the program so that it gets better and better.

This last challenge we had someone break our weight loss record of 20lbs. Our winner ended up losing a total of 28.5lbs, 4.2% body fat, and 14.5 inches. Our runners up also saw amazing results. The top 7 participants all lost over 10lbs not to mention a big decrease in body fat and loss of inches.

The great thing about this program is anyone can do it. We had individuals who had been working out for year and some of having been doing anything for years.

Now the program involved more than just strength training. We also followed a cardio program and nutrition guidelines that were crucial for the results. I thought I would give you a sneak peak into what a workout looked like for this program. Below is an actual workout we did in the program. Give it a try and see how it feels. If you are interested in learning more about the 8 Week Program and are interested in joining the waiting list just click on the link below:

http://www.sandiegopremiertraining.com/fitness-programs/challenge

Just note that we did not start with this workout. We did progress to get to this point. Some exercise may have been modified for certain people but this was the premise of the workout.

8 Week Fat Loss Challenge Sample Workout

Phase II Workout A

Triset A

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. KB Squat With Upright Row
2. SB Push Ups
3. DB Lateral Lunges

Triset B

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. KB Swings
2. Kneeling Shoulder Press
3. Cable Cobras

Superset C

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. DB Deck Squats
2. Cable Rotations

Core Circuit

Perform each exercise for 2 rounds with 30 seconds rest between exercises and sets.

1. Side Plank Rotations
2. In and Outs
3. Deadbugs

Metabolic Acceleration Training

Perform 2 round of the following circuit. Do each exercise for 20 seconds and rest 10-20 seconds between each.

1. Mountain Climbers
2. Squat Jumps
3. MB Slams
4. Jumping Jacks

Stretch and Your Done!


Let me know if you have any questions.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Should You Eat More Frequently?

If you have been following some of the more recent trends in nutrition, you have probably heard that you should try and eat smaller meals more often. If not, this is probably something you want to consider doing. I know sometimes our schedule doesn't always permit us to eat on a regular routine, but it is something that you strongly should consider.

Often what I hear from people I talk to about nutrition is they usually don't eat breakfast, have some coffee to get going, grab a fast food lunch on the go, and then have a huge dinner with a few glasses of wine. They just don't have time to eat more often. If this sounds anything like your diet you probably are struggling with losing weight. You do have time you just need to figure out how to make it work for you. Just saying you don't have time is an excuse that you aren't willing to try it.

We are often told calories in and calories out are all that matter for weight loss. While these two numbers are extremely important we have to look at the timing of your calories as well. I just found these two interesting studies that support why you should eat 6-8 meals per day.

Effects of meal frequency on body composition during weight control in boxers.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1996 Oct;6(5):265-72.

This study wanted to investigate the effects on meal frequency on changes in body composition by food restriction. They used boxers that were trying to cut their weight so they knew the athletes would stick to the diet program. The boxers were dividing into two groups. One group at 2 meals per day while the other group at 6 meals per day. Both consumed the same exact diet just changed how frequently they would eat.

We would think that both groups should see the same exact results. However the study resulted in two things. First, both groups did lose weight and there were no significant difference between each group there. So it sounds like it doesn't matter how often you eat. BUT, they did find that the decrease in lean body mass in the 2 meal group was significantly greater and they resulted in greater myoprotein catabolism. So basically, while they both lost about the same amount of weight the 2 meal group lost more muscle and was breaking down muscle for energy.

Decreased thermic effect of food after an irregular compared with a regular meal pattern in healthy lean women
International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 653–660. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802616 Published online 16 March 2004

This study took a group of women and had them eat a regular meal pattern, meaning they would eat things they normally would eat but consume meals 6-9 times per day, for 2 weeks. After this phase they were required to follow irregular meal patterns meaning they alternated between 3 meal, 6 meals, and 9 meals per day. After each phase they tested metabolic rate after eating. This was measuring the thermic effect of food. Part of our metabolic rate is made up of the thermic effect of food since it takes energy to breakdown and digest food.

This study found that irregular meal frequency led to a lower energy expenditure compared with regular meal frequency. This reduced TEF with irregular meal frequency may lead to weight gain in the long term.

So by eating a more often we know you will preserve more muscle mass and you will burn more calories. If you do not follow a regular schedule eating routine I highly recommend you try and work it into your schedule.

Fat Loss Program

So last week I posted a pretty interesting article on why you should NOT focus on aerobic training (cardio) if you are trying to lose weight. Since then I have received a ton of emails and comments from people about it. If you missed the article you can check it out here:

http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/#!/2011/10/cardio-myth.html

Now I need to make it clear that I am not saying you should not do cardio workouts if you are trying to lose weight. They will burn extra calories which is always important if you are trying to lose fat. If you are going to perform cardio for weight loss, use it in addition to your metabolic strength training and perform high intensity interval training. Here is a post I did a while back on why you MUST perform interval training if your goal is weight loss:

http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/#!/2010/06/burn-5-times-more-fat.html


So I thought I would just make it easy for you and lay out a sample fat loss program for you. You need these three components to be successful. Do not try and lose weight without all three or you will see limited success. Here is what you need to do:

1. Nutritional Program

This has to be number 1. You absolutely will never lose weight unless you are consuming less than you are burning. You must be consistent with this. Just eating well one or two days is not going to cut it. Use websites to help track your food. One of my favorites is www.dailyburn.com. Make sure you are sticking with the appropriate calories.

What you eat is obviously important as well. You diet should be high in whole foods like lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Always eat breakfast and save your carbohydrates for breakfast and on workout days.

2. Strength Program

Once you get your diet plugged in it is time to get you moving. Here is a sample fat loss strength program that I posted a while ago on MyWorkoutCreator.com. Below is the workout. Click here though to see videos of each exercise. You will have to sign up for a free account to view the workout though.

Strength Supersets 3x12 reps
A1- DB Squat Press
A2- DB Renegade Rows
B1- Overhead DB Lunge Walk
B2- DB Floor Press
C1- 1 Leg DB Deadlift
C2- DB Turkish Get Ups
Core Supersets
D1- 60sec Plank Hold
D2- 30 Oblique Reaches
Metabolic Finisher
Perform as intervals for 2 rounds of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off
E1- Squats
E2- DB Runners
E3- Burpees
E4- Close Grip Push Ups

This workout will train essential every muscle in the body, at a high intensity, burning a lot of calories. Best part it only takes about 30-45 minutes to get through this whole workout.

3. Cardio Program

Then finally we can add in our cardio workout. A typical start could be one interval workout per week and one traditional cardio workout.

Workout A- Perform 45 minutes of moderate continuous exercise. Can be any form you like. Keep your heart rate around 65-70% of your Max HR.

Workout B- Perform 20 minutes of alternating 2 minutes high intensity with 2 minutes of low intensity work. Any form is ok. High intensity effort should be around 80-90% of Max HR.

Well that is it. This would be a great start to your fat loss program. Perfect each factor in this order as well. Make sure you nutrition is great, then work your metabolic strength training in, and finally your cardio. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

The Cardio Myth

I have met with hundreds of clients over the past few years, and there is one common theme I see. When someone is trying to lose weight we see the same thing over and over. Most people will start with some type of diet program, which is definitely a great start. The diet you go on is not the focus of this posting however. The mistake people make when trying to lose weight is, they immediately start performing cardio exercises.

Now initially this might be enough to lose SOME weight. They will probably will stick with their Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, or whatever diet program they have started, for a few weeks or months. The drop in calories along with some additional exercise is probably enough to get the first 5-10lbs off.

But then what happens? They probably started to slack on their diet, but figured they will just increase their cardio to make up for it. I guarantee this is a plan that will not work for very long. The biggest weight loss myth is that cardio is the BEST to lose weight. The reasoning behind this is completely faulty and now there is more and more research that is proving it is just not a good way to lose weight.

Here are a few studies demonstrating this:

Adiposity changes after a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention among postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

International Journal of Obesity (2011) 35, 427–435; doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.147

This study followed a group of 325 women aged 50-74 who performed on average 3.6 days a week of aerobic exercise for 1 year. After 12 months of training 3 days a week for 50 minutes at a time the average weight loss was 2.3kg or 5lbs. 1 year of training, 3 days per week, and the loss was ONLY 5lbs!

Acute EPOC response in women to circuit training and treadmill exercise of matched oxygen consumption.

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005 Aug;94(5-6):500-4. Epub 2005 Jun 8.

This study looked at which form of exercise would increase EPOC or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption more. This is the afterburn affect of exercise. So they wanted to see if after a session running on the treadmill and after a session of circuit training, who would see the greatest increase in metabolic rate and burn more calories. They matched the intensity of the work so the effect of each exercise was the same. The group that performed the circuit training saw a high increase in EPOC for 1 hour after the workout.

Effects of Resistance vs. Aerobic Training Combined With an 800 Calorie Liquid Diet on Lean Body Mass and Resting Metabolic Rate

J Am Coll Nutr April 1999 vol. 18 no. 2 115-121

This study compared resistance training with cardio to see what would have the better effect when combined with a low calorie diet. Obviously with an 800 calorie diet, both groups lost weight. But only the resistance training group lost weight without losing lean body mass and they were able to prevent their resting metabolic rate from dropping. So while both will lead to weight loss, down the road the cardio group will continue to slow down their metabolism and their weight loss.

I could keep listing more and more studies but I think I have proven my point. If you are trying to lose weight remember these three things:

1. Cardio exercise can lower your resting metabolic rate, making it harder to lose weight in the future.
2. Strength training prevents your metabolic rate from lowering with a decrease in calories, by maintaining lean body mass.
3. Strength training burns more calories after you have finished your workout.

I am not saying that you don't ever need to perform traditional cardio exercise. Cardio does burn calories and when you are trying to lose weight this is very important. Instead I think we need to take the approach of making strength training the foundation of our program and use cardio (mainly HIIT) as a secondary tool.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

3 Simple Nutrition Rules To Follow

I few months ago one of my clients suggested I read the book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. It was my goal this year to read 1 new book each month to make sure I was keeping up with learning as much information as possible. So I was eager to get started on it.

It is a great nutrition book and I highly recommend checking it out if you are interested in learning more. The main premise of the book is examining the Western Diet and why Americans are experiencing so many health problems. While I can't say that all of our health problems stem from the food we eat, it is hard denying that it plays a HUGE roll in it. There is a lot of great insight into why we eat the way we do, and how misinformed we are about proper nutrition. For example, remember how we were told to avoid fat in our diet. How did that work out? We got fatter.

Nutrition is not an easy topic to discuss, but I do like the 3 rules that are found in this book. Below are the rules and a quick explanation to help you build a better foundation for your diet program.

1. Eat Food.

Sounds simple to start right? Just eat food. Think about what you eat throughout the day though. Is it really food? There are things that we consume that really shouldn't be called food. They are inventions or creations from the food industry. For example Doritos. This is not food. It is processed ingredients that give you something that is edible. So here are some things to look out for:

• Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
• Avoid products that list ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than 5 in number, or have high fructose corn syrup (or corn sugar now).
• Avoid food products that make health claims.
  

2. Not Too Much.

This one really need no explanation. If you are trying to lose or maintain weight you simply can't eat too much. If you follow rules 1 and 3 you do not have to worry about this too much, but it is possible to gain weight eating real food.

3. Mostly Plants.

While I am by no means a vegetarian, it is important to increase the amount of plants we eat. There is nothing else that can replace the vitamins and nutrients you receive from eating plants. More and more research is showing the dangers of consuming too much animal protein. Remember that we are what what you eat eats. Sounds confusing but eating beef from an animal pumped with hormones and fed corn will lead to problems for the animal as well as you. Stick with fruits and vegetables that are in season and vary your food selection.

This may be an over simplification of a diet program but if you follow this philosophy you will have less weight struggles and lead a much healthier life.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

It's A Baby

Recently my wife and I have been informing our friends and coworkers that we are expecting. This is obviously a very exciting time for us and we are really looking forward to parenthood.

Babies, however, are not my specialty. I have never really been around kids much and have no clue what I am doing, but I'm sure I will learn fast. Being the nerd that I am I always like to do research to see what types of things we should be doing. I have discovered, with pregnancy, there are some people that say some things are ok to do and others say to avoid certain things completely.

Just like in the fitness world, I have a hard time taking someone's word. I always hear claims that this supplement will melt fat away in days and that this exercise will give you a ripped stomach. I have grown to be a very skeptical person and need to do my own research before buying into something.

To help clear up my head with the whole pregnancy, I thought I should do some real research and see what peer reviewed journals have to say. Here are just some random results I found interesting. Pass this on to anyone you know who is pregnant or planning on it. Whether it is their first or fifth pregnancy this info will be helpful.

1. How many extra calories should you eat during pregnancy?

It depends on the mother's weight before conception. For those who fall in a normal body mass index (BMI) which is around 20-24 you can use this guide. The first trimester you can continue eating pretty much the same amount as before. Second Trimester increase to an extra 350 cal/day and Third Trimester you can increase to an extra 500 cal/day.

2. How much weight should you gain during a pregnancy?

Studies again are finding that it depends on your weight beforehand. Here are some more guidelines you can follow. If you underweight (BMI is <19.8) then you should gain around 12.5-18kgs (27.5-39.6lbs). If you are normal weight (BMI 19.9-24.9) you should gain around 11.5-16kg (25.3-35.2lbs). If you are overweight then you weight gain should be even less. This may seem backwards but the smaller you are the more weight you should be gaining.

3. Increasing vegetable intake during pregnancy is beneficial to fetal growth.

They are finding that women who consume more veggies during pregnancy will decrease the risk of small for gestation age (SGA) birth weight and size. Increasing vegetable intake will help the fetus growth better.

4. Increasing milk consumption is associated with increased birth weight.

Drinking 3 glasses of milk a day lead to increased birth weight and size. There was a decreased risk of SGA birth, but an increase in LGA birth. This can be a good or bad thing depending on your situation.

5. Prenatal Fish Oil supplementation is just a good idea.

Women have to be careful with how much fish they eat and what type but they NEED to make sure they are getting their Omega 3's somehow. I can't believe how much positive information I found with fish oil and pregnancy. Some of the main things were helping the development of the nervous system and improve cognitive development into childhood.

6. Siblings born at closer intervals have an increased risk of developing autism.

This one has nothing to do with nutrition but I found one study that should siblings who were born <1 year apart had a higher risk of autism.

Well that is it for now. I'm sure I will find some more pregnancy tips and facts to share in the future. Hopefully in a few weeks we will find out what we are having and then we can start the baby pool.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Free Protein Recipe Book

I just came across this awesome recipe book. And great news. It is healthier recipes and it is absolutely free!! These recipes come from Prograde Nutrition. Inside you will find delicious recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, sweet treats, breakfast recipes like peanut butter pancakes, and homemade protein bars.

That's right, you heard me correct. I am giving you book with 51 recipes for deserts and breakfast ideas. To check out these recipes plus much more just click on the picture below or right click the link and save it to your computer.

Right Click and Save File Here

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Four Keys To Live Longer

I think there are two reasons why people decide to start an exercise program and eating healthier. I have a hard time saying which one is perceived as more important surprisingly though. These two reasons are we want to look better and we want to live longer. You would think that living longer would be the most popular choice, but I definitely hear the goal of looking better naked more than living longer.

Let's focus on what should be the more important goal of living longer. Although living longer should not be the only thing we worry about. We want to live a longer, but High Quality of life. Obviously the earlier you start in life with an exercise program the easier it is and the more beneficial it can be. Sometimes when the effects of aging arise, it may be too late to get rid of them and the best you can do is manage them.

Before we go any further, I want to make the point that the keys we are going to discuss here may not make you look younger necessarily. I won't tell you I have a magic cream that will remove wrinkles or tighten your skin. Instead I am going to give you 4 things that if you do you will be more likely to live a longer life and be able to take care of yourself on your own.

These 4 keys came from a Danish study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They followed 120,852 men and women aged 55–69 who provided information on dietary and other lifestyle habits. Researchers found that those who stuck to these 4 habits lived longer:

1. Adhered to the Mediterranean Diet.
2. Did not smoke.
3. Stayed at a normal weight (BMI of 18-24).
4. Participated in regular physical activity.

It is as simple as that. These four easy habits resulted in years added to their life. In fact they found the mortality rate advancement period was 15 years for women and 8 years for men.

The last 3 habits are pretty self explanatory. Don't smoke, keep your body weight normal, and exercise. The first point may need to further explanation.

The Mediterranean Diet is essential a high fat diet. I know we were told for years that fat is the enemy. Then food products came out that were low fat and we became fatter. Now we are told carbs are the enemy and what happened? We are still getting fatter. (It is time we worry less about what macro nutrients we are getting, and focus on what foods we are eating.)

So I am not saying go out and eat fatty foods all day. In fact this diet is very low in saturated and trans fats. The Mediterranean Diet basically emphasizes eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, and herbs and spices.

Here are some keys to following this diet:

• Eat primarily plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, and nuts)
• Replace butter with healthy fats such as olive oil
• Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limit red meat to no more than a few times per month
• Eat fish and poultry at least twice a week

So that is it. Follow these steps for a longer and healthy life.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

3 Steps To Weight Loss

Hey there. I hope you have having a great day so far. I wanted to share some insight with you that I have had during my latest 8 week body transformation challenge. We are currently in the 6th week and I am really excited with the progress everyone has made. We are really seeing some great transformations!

I am definitely beginning to see a trend with people who are the most successful with their weight loss, whether it be from these challenges, or just in general from other clients I work with. Here are the 3 MOST important things you must do before you will lose 1lb. None of these involve exercising or nutrition. Obviously those are huge aspects of the program, but before you even think about working out or dieting, you must do these 3 things:

1. Have a plan.

The good thing with diet and exercise is there are plenty of choices out there. We just need to figure out exactly what you are going to need to do to lose weight. This will be different for everyone. What is the same though, is that everyone must do something different to see a change in their body. If you are trying to lose weight we need a game plan to follow. Think about anything else you want to accomplish in life. How much easier is it if you follow instructions, instead of just figuring it out as you go? Yes I am guilty of throwing out directions and trying to put something together on my own. Ask my wife how that usually goes...

It always helps to have a professional put together a program for you but many of these things you can plan yourself. You must know exactly what type of nutrition program you want to follow and how you are going to increase your activity level. Once you have your plan, you need to schedule it out. Make note of what days you will workout, what day you will start, and what day it will end. Having an end date is critical. You may not reach your goal by the end date, but that is the time you can evaluate how your plan has worked. If it is going great you might continue on with it and create a new end date.

2. Surround Yourself With Good Influences:

There are many studies that have proven, we are very similar to our circle of influences. We tend to be just like the people we associate with. If they are overweight then you will most likely be overweight. There are many, many negative people out there that will try and drag you down. If they can't accomplish something, then they may not want you to be successful either. Make sure the people you are hanging out with are going to support you 100%. If someone is just draining your energy, it is time to decrease the time you spend with them.

3. Believe You Can Do It!

I know this might sound cheesy, but it is true. A few years ago I wouldn't even think about something like this. You just exercise and eat right and you lose weight. I never really realized how powerful the mind and your subconscious can be. When I think back to my high jumping days in college though, this was exactly what I did. I would go to a competition knowing that I would be successful and knowing that I was going to win. And because of this (and my training) I was very successful.

If you do not believe you can lose weight, you will not. If you feel like you are cursed and will just be overweight forever, then you will. We tend to look at others and say how lucky some people are. Ask the most successful people in the world if they got there by luck. Hard work and truly believing you will achieve your goal is what will bring success. Don't look for the easy way out. There is none. Instead of thinking how nice it would be if you lost weight or hit your goal, think how good it is GOING to be when you get there.

Well that is my motivational talk for the week. Now stop reading and get started on your plan.

You stay healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Newest ACSM Position Statement

The American College of Sport Medicine is one of the leading authorities in the health and fitness industry. The ACSM promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life. The ACSM sets the standard for minimum exercise for increasing healthy lifestyle.

When new research arises they update their position on what type and amount of exercise should be performed. Below is their recommendation for quality and quantity of exercise. This list is not for athletes. This is what is recommended for the average person who is able to exercise. Check this list and see how you compare. If you are performing less than this and are not happy with your weight or fitness level then it is time to step it up.

Cardiorespiratory Training:

• Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
• Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
• One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.
• Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.
• People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise:

• Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
• Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.
• Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
• For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.
• Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise:

• Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.
• Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
• Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.
• Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.
• Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

Neuromotor Exercise:

• Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.
• Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.
• 20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

I know this seems like a lot of exercise to be a minimum, but all of these can be combined to create more efficient workouts. It is not necessary to workout every single day to achieve these goals.

The workouts that we create at San Diego Premier Training keep this in mind. We know that most people are just too busy to be working out all the time. Instead we create workouts that involve Cardiorespiratory training, resistance training, flexibility, and functional training all in one. You time is precious so the less time you spend exercising the more time you have for other things.

Try one of our workouts out for free. Just visit www.sandiegopremiertraining.com and click on the free workout button to get started.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Brand New Weight Loss Studies

Hi there. I hope you are having a great week and are starting to recover from the holiday weekend.

Chances are you put on a few pounds this weekend and are ready to get them off as fast as possible, along with maybe a few more unwanted pounds. I just came across a few great studies in the latest American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that may help you get rid of some unwanted fat or just help you get on a healthy path.

Study 1: Short sleep duration increases energy intakes but does not change energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals

This title pretty much sums up the entire study. Here researchers took a group of individuals and compared their diet and energy expenditure after habitual 4hr of sleep per night and 9hr per night. What they found that participants were eating about 300 calories more per day on less sleep and especially increased their fat intake. The real problem is they did not increase their energy expenditure at all on days they ate more. So this group would gain about a 1lb every 10 days or 30lbs in a year if they were to continue this habit.

This can be an easy fix. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep every night to avoid increased calorie consumption.

Study 2: Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials

Again the title says it all here. In this study researchers wanted to look at green tea's effect on cholesterol levels. Green tea has already shown many great health benefits including possible increased fat burning. This study reviewed 14 eligible randomized controlled trials using green tea. They found that through all of these studies, 1136 subjects, there was a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL levels. There was no effect on HDL levels, however.

Study 3: Cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality

And our final study involves vegetable consumption, which I know most people tend to struggle with. Asian populations tend to consume large amounts of cruciferous vegetables and other plant based foods. This study wanted to determine the effects of a diet high in these cruciferous vegetables. This is just a family name for certain vegetables. Some of the more popular ones are kale, collard greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli.

This study observed women for 10 years and evaluated diet program. They found that those who consumed higher cruciferous vegetables and fruits lived longer and were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.

I know these three studies are a little random but I thought they are very useful tips for anyone trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Key points:

1. Sleep more
2. Drink Green Tea
3. Eat more vegetables

You stay healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Vitamin D Levels And Postmenopausal Women

Vitamin D has gotten more and more attention in the health industry and for good reason. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is responsible for regulating calcium amounts in the blood, plays a role in growth and remodeling of bone, reduces cardiovascular disease, improve your immune system, reduces your risk of certain cancer, improve skin complexion, prevents muscle tension, and aid with weight loss just to name of few benefits.

More people are realizing that they actually have a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can be found in foods such as milk, fish, mushrooms, and eggs or taken as a supplement. Vitamin D is also produced in the skin when you are exposed to UV rays from the sun or from an artificial source. You may become deficient if you:

1. Don't consume the recommended levels through food or supplementation.
2. Do not have enough exposure to sunlight.
3. Do not have dark skin complexion.
4. Have kidney problems and cannot convert Vitamin D to its active form.
5. Cannot adequately absorb Vitamin D through your digestive tract.
6. Are Obese.

Even if you do not fit in any of these categories it is still a good idea to regularly have your blood tested to determine your Vitamin D levels. I actually had mine tested and found that my levels were on the low side.

A recent study looking at overweight postmenopausal women found so very exciting news on the vitamin. The study took a group of women and divided them into 4 groups. A diet only group, an exercise only group, a diet and exercise group, and a control group. The study found that no matter how you did it (exercise, diet, or both) those that lost weight saw an increase in Vitamin D levels. In fact, women who lost <5%, 5–9.9%, 10–14.9%, or ≥15% of baseline weight had mean increases in Vitamin D levels of 2.1, 2.7, 3.3, and 7.7 ng/mL, respectively.

So if you have never check your levels I highly recommend looking into it. If they are low there are plenty of things you can do to increase them. Start with a diet high in Vitamin D and exercising in the sunshine. Catch this problem before you experience any of the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Change Your Metabolism

When talking fat loss, we hear the word metabolism get thrown around. You might hear that certain foods or supplements boost your metabolism or that as you age your metabolism will slow down. There are a lot of claims out there that probably can't be back up very well, but one thing is for sure. Your metabolism play a vital role with weight loss.

I read a great article by Dr. Len Kavitz (no not the singer) that really did a great job summing up metabolism. Here are some pieces from that article.

First we need to look at what is your metabolism. Your metabolism is basically the sum of all the chemical reactions in your body. It requires energy for these reactions to take place. This energy comes from calories. So if you have a higher metabolism you burn more calories. This is why it is so important for weight loss. When we look at how many calories you burn during the day, about 60% comes from you Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). The rest comes from the thermic effect of exercise and spontaneous activity (30%), and the thermic effect of food metabolism (10%). So you can see your metabolic rate plays the biggest role in burning calories. So it is simple... To lose more weight keep your RMR high. Below are some things to consider to keep that metabolism burning:

Diets will slow down your metabolism. By decrease what you eat you are actually slowing down your metabolism. This is very hard for people to understand. If you diet without exercising your can reduce your metabolic rate by 20%. Yes you lose weight initially, but you will not continue to lose weight at the same rate. Exercise has been shown to preserve muscle which will prevent your metabolism from slowing. This is why you SHOULD NOT diet without exercise.

If you are performing cardio and strength training exercise you can see your metabolism increase by about 250-300 calories per day. This will add up quickly if you are trying to lose weight. So again DO NOT diet without exercise. I promise you will not hit your weight goal.

There are certain foods that may help increase metabolism but the increase is slight. The most common ingredients that may assist with fat burning include green tea, caffeine, and capsaicins (found in hot peppers). Research shows that these may increase metabolism up to about 4-5%. This is about 50-100 calories per day, depending on where you RMR is. So yes they can help but these are not huge numbers that will just melt fat away. Most research is really needed to show the effectiveness of these aids but they are generally safe.

So here is the bottom line with your metabolism. Severe diets without exercise will slow down your metabolism, cardio and strength exercise and increase it, and some supplements may help a little bit.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

It's All Greek To Me

Well I made it back in one piece from Greece. This will probably be my most non fitness related post ever, but I figured most people just wanted to see some pics from my vacation. I figured I have to throw some fitness topics in there as well though. Here are some of the things I learned/observed on my trip, with scattered pics and videos for your viewing pleasure.

1. I love Greek food.

I didn't realize how much I like Greek food, but I am definitely hooked now. You can see me stuff my face below. Despite all of the food I ate I only gained 1 lb on the trip. I guess there might be something to the Mediterranean Diet. Bottom line, fat can be very good for you. I felt like I was sweating olive oil and feta cheese by the end of the trip. I'm sure I smelled delicious.








2. Greece is full of hills.

Probably the real reason I didn't gain any weight was due to all of the walking and hiking. From climbing to the Acropolis, to the cliffs of Santorini we did a ton of climbing. Check out the videos below. Yes that is me breathing extremely heavy. This was my cardio workout:

Island of Delos Climbing to see the Temple of Zeus:


Santorini Climbing to Ancient Thira:





3. We can learn a lot of history.

I heard a very interesting fact from our tour guide at the Acropolis. Every city actually, back then, had an acropolis. The one in Athens is just one of the most famous one's still around today. She said that in each city at the acropolis you would find three things always. These three were a gym, a stadium, and a theater. The gym was used to train young men physically and intellectually and the stadium was used for competition to display strength and athleticism. I found it extremely interesting that in all cities in ancient Greece you would find gyms! Even back then they understood the importance of training your body as well as your mind and made it mandatory, not something just for recreation. Even the word calisthenics is derived from the Greek words kallos meaning beauty and sthenos meaning strength.



4. Greece is gorgeous.

Here are just some random pics for you. Enjoy!








5. They Don't Do Everything Right.
As great as there diets may be over there, they aren't perfect. There were very few gyms that I saw. Maybe that is a sign for me to move out there and open a few up. Here is a pic of one I did see in Crete. Check out the bar right below it:


If you would like to see any more pics just send me an email or comment below.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Working Out On An Empty Stomach

Well it is time to put another training myth to bed. This is a very popular myth and I know plenty of people who still practice this method. The myth is you should workout on an empty stomach and you will burn more fat.

The theory makes sense. If you have no food in your system and you start to workout the energy has to come from somewhere so why not fat. You have a limited supply of energy stores in the muscle, but since you haven't eaten in a while they will be depleted. So we can assume that the energy will come from our fat stores.

Unfortunately you know what assuming does. And things never work out this simple, especially in the fitness world. A recent study in the February 2011 issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism looked to answer this question.

The study was simple. They took a group of individuals and had them perform the same workout twice. One day they did it in the morning without consuming any food. Then they performed it a few days later after eating a light breakfast.

The Results? They found that exercising on an empty stomach did not enhance fat burning anymore than when consuming breakfast. They also found, and more importantly, that resting energy expenditures where significantly higher in the 24 hours after the workout when participants consumed breakfast. So, eating breakfast before a workout can actually help you lose more weight.

If you don't believe the science, simply try it. If you can perform a workout on an empty stomach, then I know why you are having trouble losing weight. You just aren't working out hard enough. If you have ever tried working out without eating anything before, you just will not have the energy to get through the workout. You will feel nauseous, light headed, and weak. Not a very good combination for a weight loss workout.

So start your day with a healthy breakfast before you hit the gym.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training